


Shake It Out

by blueeyedoncorhynchus



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-19
Updated: 2018-06-19
Packaged: 2019-05-25 01:38:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14966342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blueeyedoncorhynchus/pseuds/blueeyedoncorhynchus
Summary: Kind of a follow-up to my short, Broken, that I posted late last year. Breakups happen. They're hard. They're lonely. They fucking suck. But some times, you just need a little reminder from a friend to realize the simple truth: you're going to be okay. Nicole (post-breakup with Waverly) gets help from a friend.





	Shake It Out

**Author's Note:**

> Don't know the song at the beginning? Google that shit! Story Warning: there's some cursing. If you're an Earper, you're probably used to it by now. Also, Zoie Palmer is going to be amazing as Jolene. Spoiler alert -- based on the TV spot, she might be evil and/or trying to kill Nicole, but for the purposes of this story, she is just a hot lady with a nice ride.

  _And given half the chance would I take any of it back_  
_It's a fine romance but it's left me so undone_  
_It's always darkest before the dawn_  
_And I'm damned if I do and I'm damned if I don't_  
_So here's to drinks in the dark at the end of my road_  
_And I'm ready to suffer and I'm ready to hope_  
_It's a shot in the dark aimed right at my throat_  
_'Cause looking for heaven, found the devil in me_  
_Looking for heaven, found the devil in me_  
_Well what the hell I'm gonna let it happen to me_

 

Purgatory: The Police Station

Nicole rubbed her eyes as she wrote up her latest police report. _People suck s_ he thought to herself as she went over the cases for the week. She took a sip of coffee and grimaced as the cold liquid passed over her lips. Her forgotten coffee that had been such a chore to make this morning.

First, she had spilled the grounds after taking them out of the grinder. Then, she spilled water everywhere. Trying to clean coffee and water off the counter at the same time was a fucking nightmare. But after a minute or two, the scent of freshly brewed coffee finally filled her kitchen. She took pleasure in it for a moment until...

Vanilla.

Waverly.

Waverly's favorite.

A pain formed in her stomach and she forced herself not to cry.  _Not today, Nicole_ she had told herself. She hadn't gone a whole day without crying since their breakup, but dammit she was determined to make it happen.

That same knot formed in her stomach as she sat at her desk. She stared down at the cold coffee. Waverly, Waves, her Waves... _NO! Stop it, Nicole. Think of something else_.  _Anything else._

She sighed, frustrated at herself as she felt the tear form at the back of her eye and slowly move down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away.

She was ready to not feel this way any more. To just be...okay.

She looked over at her cell phone. No texts. No phone calls. It had been pretty quiet since she and Waverly had broken up. She picked it up and twirled it in her hand, wishing it would make noise. Any noise. Any reminder of what she once had, but it didn't. She sighed again and set her phone down.  _Alright, enough for today_ she thought. She looked at the clock. 9:31a.m. She had only been at work for two hours and yet it had felt like 10 years.

_Fuck my life_ , she thought.

Her collarbone ached as she rubbed her hand over her chest again for what felt like the millionth time that day, checking to make sure her heart was still beating. She felt hollow. Nicole looked around the office. It too felt...

Empty.

Quiet.

Lonely.

Forgotten.

She put her head down on the desk and sighed again.

"Haught, you haven't caught that bug that's going around, have you?" Nedley asked as he walked into the room.

"No, sir," Nicole said, quickly sitting up straight. She might be dying on the inside, but she was trying her damnedest to not slack off at her job. She was a good deputy. A great deputy.

"Good, I'm heading out on that fishing trip this afternoon," he said. He noticed Nicole's shoulders slouch a little, realizing that he was leaving. She was a tough kid, but this breakup had been pretty hard on her.

"Yes, sir," Nicole said. "Hope you have a great time." She flashed him a small smile. He hadn't seen her smile much and it made him respect her even more that she was putting on a brave front.

"Um, I've got an interim sheriff coming in this afternoon."

"Oh," Nicole said, a little surprised. He could tell right away that the wheels were spinning in Nicole's head. She was wondering why he hadn't appointed her as the interim sheriff while he was out of town.

"Yeah, some big shot from the city wants to see how we do things around here. I was hoping you'd show 'em the ropes," he said, a small smile on his face. Nicole looked up at him a bit brighter.

"Oh of course, sir," Nicole answered. She seemed a little excited for a change of pace which Nedley instantly noticed.

"Good," Nedley answered as he turned on his heels. "They'll be here around 2. Try not to burn the place down while I'm gone," he said as he walked out of the room.

"I'll try my best," Nicole replied. Finally, something new to preoccupy her thoughts. Maybe things with this new sheriff would keep her so busy that she would start to feel better in no time. She was feeling optimistic, refreshed. Then she looked at the clock. 9:48a.m. Nicole sighed. How long until she didn't feel every minute of every day? No, no more self pity. She got up from her desk and started cleaning. This place was going to be spotless before the interim sheriff rolled in.

******

12:45pm that same day

Nicole clutched her side, trying to catch her breath as she walked back towards the station. Cleaning had only taken a couple of hours so she thought a mid-day run might help perk her up.  _Exercise, it's good for you_ , she thought.  _What a fucking joke._ Getting into tight clothes while you're heartbroken is awful. Running while you're heartbroken is awful. Breathing while you're heartbroken is awful. Everything hurts a million times more after someone has ripped out all of your insides and left you behind as a hollow shell of what you once were.

She rubbed her side, hoping the stitch would go away. She took some deep breaths as she neared the station.

"Why if it isn't Officer Nicole Haught," she heard a familiar voice yell at her. She looked up to see a blonde woman wearing tight jeans and a leather jacket leaning against a motorcycle.

"No way," Nicole said out loud as a big smile came across her face. "What are you doing here?" she yelled as she jogged up to the woman. They quickly embraced and Nicole realized how much she had missed physical contact with another human being. It was almost enough to make her cry, but she held it together.

"Nedley called me," the woman said, as they ended the hug and stood in front of each other. "Said you needed someone to help look after the place for a few days."

"He called you?" Nicole asked. That sly bastard. Of course he had arranged for a friend of Nicole's to be the "interim" sheriff.

"And good thing. You look like hell, Haught."

"Nice to see you too," Nicole joked, feeling a little embarrassed as she rubbed her hand over her hair and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"I mean, you look a little rough," the woman said, sounding a bit more empathetic, placing a hand on Nicole's arm. "Want me to beat her up?" Nicole smiled and shook her head.

"Come on, I'll show you around," Nicole said, grabbing the woman's arm and leading her into the station.

*****

"So that's about it," Nicole said, leaning against her desk after giving the woman a tour of the place. "I know it's not much, but it's home."

"It's...charming," the woman said, jokingly.

"I know it's not the big city, but --" Nicole said before they were interrupted.

"Alright, where is he?" Wynonna yelled as she burst into the room and leaned over the counter. She and Nicole hadn't spoken or seen each other much as Dolls and Wynonna had conveniently moved their Black Badge discussions to Shorty's.

"Who?" Nicole asked.

"The poor sucker I'm going to bang then leave naked tied up in the hotel room while I steal that beeaauuuttiful ride out front," Wynonna replied. Nicole looked confused. 

"Uh if you're talking about the Low Ride, that would be mine," the woman replied, amused. She crossed her arms and smiled at Wynonna.

"Well," Wynonna started to say, eyeing the woman from head to toe. "Normally, I don't swing that way, but for that bike, I might make an exception." The woman let out a deep chuckle.

"She's not gay, Wynonna," Nicole replied, shaking her head.

"First time for everything," Wynonna answered. "So, who are you, and if sex won't work, what's it going to take to let me drive it?" The woman chuckled more loudly this time.

"Jolene Austin," the woman said, extending her hand to Wynonna.

"Jolene was one of the training officers at the academy. She's filling in for Nedley for a few days," Nicole said.

"Wynonna Earp," Wynonna said, shaking Jolene's hand. "So what's it going to take? I know a handsome bar owner who will blow your mind."

"Really, Wynonna?" Nicole asked.

"Who needs him when I could be riding that motorcycle. He'll understand," Wynonna replied, nonchalantly. All of the woman shared a laugh until a voice behind them broke things up.

"Sorry to break up the party, but Dolls is waiting for us," Waverly said sterly as all the women turned their attention to her. Waverly stared at Wynonna before her eyes briefly flickered to Nicole and then down to the floor. Nicole noticed how ragged Waverly looked as well with her hair slightly disheveled, her skin a little pale, and bags under her eyes.

"Sorry, baby girl," Wynonna said towards Waverly before glancing at Nicole who was frozen in place. "We'll continue this discussion later," Wynonna said seriously to Jolene as she walked towards the door following a flustered and stomping Waverly.

"I'm so looking forward to it," Jolene replied, facetiously. Nicole stared at the door. Jolene turned to look at her. "Alright, there's definitely a story with the baby sister. Spill it, red." Nicole fought back the tears before letting out a deep breath she hadn't realized she had been holding in.

"It's a long story," Nicole said quietly.

"I've got nothing but time," Jolene said, pulling up a chair. Nicole looked at her appreciatively before taking a seat and filling her in.

*****

Two mornings later

Nicole kneeled down and tied her shoelaces. Small goosebumps lined her arms as she took in a deep breath of the cold morning air.

"I still don't know how you convinced me to do this." Nicole said as she pushed herself up and started stretching. Purgatory was still dark at 6:30a.m. Yet here they were, stretching outside the police station before their shift. A "leisurely" jog as Jolene has worded it.

"Exercise releases endorphins," Jolene said as she jogged in place. "Besides, you've been spending too much time on the couch." She jokingly reached over and poked Nicole's side.

"Ow, hey," Nicole said, wincing. "I'm in shape."

"Right," Jolene replied. "How do you expect to catch all the bad guys if you can't chase them?"

"This is Purgatory. Where are they going to run to?"

"Well, you might be right there," Jolene answered, looking around at the quiet town. She took a more serious tone as she looked softly at Nicole. "Exercise also clears your head. Keeps your mind from drifting to bad places or lingering on certain...brunettes." Nicole gave her a small smile. They had talked the past two days about Waverly which had been tough for Nicole, but also therapeutic. Having someone around that you trusted 100% to just listen and support you was more comforting than anything. "It takes time, Nicole. But it does get better."

Nicole took a deep breath.

"I know," she quietly replied.

"In the meantime, don't let your body go to shit," Jolene replied with a smile as she started jogging in place again. "Five miles. Last one back to the station buys breakfast."

"You're on," Nicole replied, suddenly feeling a bit of a rush from the competition as they both took off jogging down the street.

*****

Almost an hour later

Waverly was trying to drag a hungover Wynonna out of the truck with little success. She pushed at her older sister before getting distracted by yelling and laughing coming from down the street. She looked up by the police station to see Jolene and Nicole running quickly down the road.

They were teasing each other as both women sprinted as fast as they could. Jolene looked to have an edge on Nicole, but the blonde couldn't maintain her stamina and slowly fell behind as Nicole pressed on to the front door. As soon as they reached the front door, Nicole let out a holler and started jumping up and down.

"Ahhh haha," Nicole said, surprised at herself for having won the foot race given that she had never bested Jolene before. She started bouncing around like an excited child, nearly jumping into Jolene's arms.

"About time you finally win one," Jolene said between breaths as she tried to slow her heart rate. Nicole put her hands on her head and smiled proudly as she took in deep breaths.

"You're right, that felt good," Nicole said, smiling.

"Don't rub it in or anything," Jolene said jokingly.

"The running part," Nicole added, smiling.

"Good to finally see a smile on that pretty face," Jolene said as she wrapped Nicole up in a big hug.

Waverly watched the pair from a distance and felt a knot in her stomach. There was a comfort and familiarity the two had that made her whole body ache with jealously. She missed Nicole's hugs. Nicole's smell. Nicole's smile. She missed being her person and sharing those moments with the redhead. 

"Jealously really doesn't suit you, Waves," Wynonna said as she leaned against the seat of the truck with her arm on her head.

"I'm not jealous," Waverly said, quietly.

"Right," Wynonna replied getting out of the truck. "All this angst calls for a drink."

"It's 7:30," Waverly stated.

"Already? Chop chop, we're losing daylight," Wynonna replied before disappearing into Shorty's. Waverly shut the truck door and headed towards the bar, glancing once more at the sweaty pair down the street that were stretching and laughing after their run. It was hard to see Nicole happy without her. She lingered for a second before walking into Shorty's.

*****

The Big City

"Let's go, Haught," Jolene said, leaning against the doorway of her apartment. Nicole had been in high spirits all day, and Jolene wanted to keep it going with a night in the city. They had headed back to her place after work to get ready with Jolene sneakily replacing Nicole's packed flannel, Vans, and jeans with a busty top, a skirt, and some black pumps before they left for the city. Nicole had grumbled a bit about it when she opened her bag to see the ensemble Jolene had chosen, but after a whiskey, she was feeling better about it.

"I still can't believe you convinced me to wear this," Nicole said, stumbling out of the bathroom, pulling at her skirt which was pretty shirt revealing her long legs. The soft black satin of her shirt hugged her in all the right places with the v-neck dipping low revealing quite a bit more cleavage than she ever did in Purgatory. The pumps were clunky, but do-able. Most of these clothes were from years ago when Nicole had gone out to clubs with her friends, but she hadn't worn anything like that outfit in quite awhile. Nicole looked in the mirror. She did like the way she looked, but her mind drifted to the place where it always did -- Waverly. What if Waverly was doing the same thing. Wearing tight clothes, looking for someone else.

"You look great," Jolene replied. "You're not in that one horse town tonight. Besides, when's the last time you went out and flirted with every woman you met?"

"Never," Nicole replied.

"Ha! I remember what you were like during your academy days," Jolene answered. "You had all the women swooning. And you will tonight too. You deserve to have some fun and unwind."

"You're right, you're right," Nicole said. She took a deep breath. "Let's do it!"

"Yeeessss!" Jolene said, handing Nicole a shot of whiskey which she slammed before they headed off into the night.

*****

Hyman's (The Nightclub)

The night had been a blur for both women as they barhopped around the city, getting free drinks from men who were too oblivious to notice Nicole's lack of interest in them. Jolene had pushed Nicole to talk to a couple of girls, but Nicole fumbled with words which surprisingly made the women even more interested in her. However, after a drink at each place, Nicole was grabbing her arm and dragging her out to the next place. By 1a.m., they ducked into a dance club. They were at the bar doing shots when Shut Up and Dance With Me came on causing Jolene to drag Nicole onto the dance floor.

Before long, the pair were dancing with the crowd who were covered in glitter and glow in the dark paint, a specialty at this place. More than one woman positioned themselves next to Nicole, enjoying the dancing. And as the dance continued, Nicole started to feel better. A jello shot later, she was dancing up on a cute brunette who had complimented her shirt. It wasn't until the song was nearly over that Nicole glanced across the room and stopped in place.

 "Waverly?" Nicole asked, confused. Waverly stared at her, dumbfounded.

"What's wrong?" Jolene yelled at Nicole. Nicole pointed over to where Waverly stood. Both Jolene and Nicole walked over to Waverly as Wynonna joined her sister's side.

"Woo hoo hoo, Haught damn," Wynonna said. "Who knew you cleaned up so well, Red." Nicole tugged at her skirt uncomfortably, glitter falling from her partially sweaty hair from all the dancing

"What are you two doing here?" Nicole asked.

"We could ask you the same thing," Waverly stated defensively.

"Girl's night out," Jolene said.

"I'll say," Wynonna replied, giving Nicole a once over. Waverly glanced towards Nicole's cleavage as Nicole pulled her shirt up a little.

"I'll go look out front," Waverly said to Wynonna. "Maybe we missed him." She quickly moved towards the nightclub door.

"Waverly..." Nicole said as she watched her walk away. "Let me just," Nicole said to Jolene as she went after her. Wynonna and Jolene looked at each other.

"Shot?" Jolene asked, trying to make the situation less awkward. She grabbed two shots from a passing waitress and handed one to Wynonna.

"Woman after my own heart," Wynonna said as they clinked their shot glasses and drank. "So...did you drive here tonight?" A big smile crossed Jolene's face as she shook her head at Wynonna. 

 

"Waverly, wait," Nicole said as they got outside the club where a few people were lingering, smoking.

"I've got to find, Jeremy," Waverly said as she kept walking down the sidewalk.

"Wait, Jeremy's here?" Nicole asked. Waverly quickly turned causing Nicole to almost run into her.

"We were following someone and he said he was out front of this nightclub," Waverly sneered.

"Oh, I didn't see him inside," Nicole replied.

"You seemed pretty preoccupied with the dancing," Waverly said, jealousy and annoyance in her voice.

"It was Jolene's idea to come dancing," Nicole said.

"You two are cozy," Waverly answered. Nicole was surprised to see this jealous side of Waverly, especially towards Jolene.

"Hey, she's just a friend," Nicole said, her hand touching Waverly's arm, her tone soft. Waverly stared at their contact and then looked up at Nicole. For a moment, it seemed like they were on the same page again. But Nicole watched as Waverly's defenses went up and she pulled her arm away.

"It's not my business. You can sleep with whoever you want," Waverly said, crossing her arms and leaning against the club wall. There was a pause between them as Nicole stared at her. Waverly's eyes wouldn't meet hers. "I already am. So..." Nicole felt all of the air leave her body. Those words were like a sucker punch to the gut. She just stared at the brunette, holding back the emotion that she felt as Waverly's icy glare returned to her face.

"Of course," Nicole said softly as she nodded and stared at the ground. Waverly's expression softened, but Nicole missed it. The young brunette fought the emotions she was feeling. Nicole had called it off with her. This wasn't her fault. Yeah, she had been unfaithful, but it was a moment of weakness. A naive moment that she had to learn from and it wasn't fair that the redhead was out enjoying her life while Waverly was feeling...miserable.

"Well, I should go back in," Nicole said as she fought back tears hearing that Waverly might be sleeping with other people. "Have a good night." Nicole quickly turned and walked back into the club. Waverly had tried to say something and reach for her, but the redhead was too quick. Waverly stared at where she had disappeared, contemplating going after her. She had been cruel, knowing just what to say to upset Nicole, and now the guilt was setting in. But she wasn't sure how to fix it. Not yet.

"Hey, did you find him?" Wynonna asked, walking up to Waverly.

"No, can we just go?" Waverly asked, fighting back tears. This night needed to be over.

"Yeah, let's go," Wynonna said, wrapping her arm around Waverly as they walked down the street back towards the car.

*****

The next morning

Nicole opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling. Her mouth was dry and her head ached worse that it had in a long time. She made an attempt to sit up and groaned as nauseousness overcame her. She laid back down and put her arm over her eyes.

"Good morning," Jolene said, quietly as she emerged from the hallway and sat on the chair across from Nicole.

"Mmmm," Nicole grumbled. Jolene laughed. "How are you alive?" Nicole asked with contempt. They had matched each other in drinks all night up until the point that they had seen Waverly.

"BC powder and pedialyte," Jolene answered, taking a sip of her coffee. "Works like a charm."

"Thanks for sharing," Nicole replied, half serious, half sarcastic.

"Hey, I tried," Jolene replied. "You were pretty adamant about taking care of yourself when we got back here."

"Oh," Nicole answered, not remembering what had happened after Waverly left. "I can be a little stubborn."

"A little?" Jolene said, eyebrows raised. Nicole looked over at her as the pair shared a smile.

"What a night," Nicole said, returning her eyes to the ceiling.

"It seemed to be going pretty well until you saw Waverly."

"Yeah." Nicole quietly answered. She couldn't get the look on Waverly's face out of her mind.

"I know it's really not my place..."

"Since when has that stopped you?" Nicole asked, smiling at Jolene.

"True!" Jolene stated. "I think she misses you too." Nicole caught her breath.

"She's already sleeping with other people," Nicole said.

"Come on, Nicole. Everyone says that after a breakup," Jolene replied. "She obviously still cares what you're doing and who you're with, but..."

"But what?" Nicole said, looking over at her.

"You've got to decide where to go from here," Jolene said, sipping more of her coffee. "You can either attempt to talk to her and see if you two can get back together or you got to let her go. Which includes limited contact, clearing her out of your life, and moving on."

"What if I'm not ready yet?"

"You don't have to do it right this minute, but...it's time, Nicole." Nicole looked over at her and smiled. She was right. It had been a little while since they had broken up yet some of Waverly's things were still at her place. She still had a heart emoji next to her name in her phone. She still kept a picture of Waverly at work even though she had put it in the drawer. She had to decide where to go from here. She could either keep moping or, she could take the steps to being okay being single. Maybe she'd go on a rock climbing trip. That wasn't something she had ever done with Waverly. Or maybe she'd go camping. Or spend more weekends in the city just to see what life had to offer.

Nicole looked at Jolene and smiled. Even with her head pounding, it was the first morning where she had woken up and had just felt okay. She rubbed her hand over her chest and it didn't feel quite as empty. It was about time.

*****

Purgatory Police Station

"I really liked this place," Jolene said, finishing up the last of her paperwork and walking with Nicole towards the door. "I can see why you stayed."

"I wish you could stay," Nicole replied as they slowly walked out the front door.

"You remember what I told you when you finished at the academy?"

"If you stand still, you'll never get anywhere," Nicole replied.

"Exactly," Jolene answered. "I've got places to go, things to do, hearts to break. And sadly, I can't do those things here."

"I guess not," Nicole said as Jolene put on her leather jacket. "There are so few men here." They shared a laugh.

"You're going to be okay," Jolene said. "I promise." She embraced Nicole, holding tightly to her friend.

"You're right."

"I'm always right," Jolene replied. Jolene let go of Nicole, hopped onto the motorcycle and fired it up. "Oh and uh, no pressure, Red, but when you're feeling like your old self again, I think there's a certain barista that wouldn't mind some of your attention." Nicole looked surprised.

"What?"

"Girl, that blonde at the coffee shop has been eyeing you all over since I got into town," Jolene answered. "You were just looking at the floor too much to notice." Nicole blushed.

"But like I said, when you're ready," Jolene answered. "In the meantime, try to stay out of trouble, huh?"

"No promises," Nicole replied, smiling.

"There it is," Jolene said. "Best of luck, Officer Haught." Jolene sped off down the road as Nicole smiled at her.

 "It's so sad to see her go," Wynonna said, surprising Nicole as she joined her side.

"Seriously? I didn't know you liked Jolene that much."

"Jolene?!? Gross, I'm talking about that bike. Such a beauty." Nicole burst out laughing, harder than she had in awhile as Wynonna stared longingly down the road.

"Who knows, she might come back into our lives one day," Nicole said in a mocking tone.

"One can only hope," Wynonna answered as the pair stood there, staring off down the road.

*****

One week later

Nicole walked into the police station, coffee cup in hand. She smiled as she sat down at her desk and thought about the cute barista she had just interacted with. The blonde definitely smiled a bit more at her than the other customers and said "Officer" in a flirty way that reminded Nicole why she was alive in the first place. It was such a small thing, but to be noticed by someone else went a long way to rebuilding someone's self esteem.

It was a few moments later when she was looking over to grab a file she had been working on when Nicole noticed a Contigo coffee mug sitting on her desk with a small bow on it and a note attached. She pulled off the piece of paper and looked at it in surprise as she read the words.

"So your coffee will never be cold" - Waverly

Her breath caught.  _Now how did she know_ Nicole thought. She picked up the Contigo in her hands and rubbed the sides. It was a damn fine coffee mug and would definitely keep her coffee warm for hours. Much better than the worn out mug she had been using. More than that, it was a peace offering. Maybe more, she wasn't sure, but for now, she was going to consider it a peace offering from Waverly whom she hadn't spoken to yet after their run in at the nightclub.

Nicole unscrewed the top and poured her coffee from the styrofoam to-go cup from the cafe into the new mug. She took a sip and let out a grateful sigh.

Who knew what tomorrow would bring, but for now, she was happy just to be drinking a warm cup of coffee.

 


End file.
